


for a moment

by starkstruck



Series: перамога народа [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen, hastily-made oneshot, i suck, man i just love the belarusian sibs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 00:31:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkstruck/pseuds/starkstruck
Summary: Reminiscences from the past made it harder for Nikolai to see Nicholas from across the field.





	for a moment

**Author's Note:**

> [ the ones in bold and italic are during the 7th century. while the normal ones are set somewhere after the wars against the tsardom of russia and before the kościuszko uprising. ]
> 
> \- mikalaj : belarus / natalya  
> \- katya : 2p!belarus / natasha  
> \- aliaksei : 2p!nyo!belarus / nicholas  
> \- maksim : nyo!belarus / nikolai

_**“Starejšy brat,” Eyes shimmering in both awe and curiosity, the young male traces a finger onto the jewels that were embellished on a male with similar features to him. Maksim; the name of the younger male with the palest hair in their tribe. “You like that, Maks?” Aliaksei lets a smile crawl onto his lips, his eyes stare back at Maksim’s brown orbs, seeing oceans of emotions fill them as he admired the ornaments that signified Aliaksei’s countless victories during their hunt. “I do! I do!” He jumps up and down, a grin decorating his expression, all the while his breathing got ragged whilst he continued to jump non-stop.** _

He didn’t get it. Not at all.

“That is..” He hears the soft voice of one of his sisters, Katya— her voice comes out in a hushed tone. He can feel Mikalaj’s free hand squeeze his in reassurance, her pupils staring directly at the other person in the opposing battlefield. Katya, however, holds onto his forearm tightly, perhaps like a small cat cuddling onto its mother, in search of warmth; in search of comfort. He could not believe his eyes; it felt like the harsh waves of the sea came to knock the three of them down.

“Aliaksei.” His name echoes inside the small, abandoned tavern they had found in the midst of the battle. From the corner of his eye, he sees Mikalaj flinch, holding onto the stab wound on her shoulder—and Katya instinctively reaches out to her. But he couldn’t move.

Wearing an attire similar to those of the Russian troops, he stood there— a scarf wrapped around his neck instead of his usual emblems and necklaces. Underneath his eyes were dark undertones, the kind of dark where you would know immediately that he did not have any decent sleep yet. Maksim’s eyes were left widened; pupils dilated while he watched as Aliaksei continued to walk amongst the pile of dead bodies around them, all the while more soldiers from their troops check to see if some were still left alive. And for a second, Maksim swore that he had made eye contact with him.

But only for just a second.

**_“Then you must work hard, hm?” Aliaksei falls to his knees, he doesn’t take his eyes off of Maksim’s as he takes off his necklace with an emblem made from the strongest copper around these parts of their land. He places it around Maksim’s neck, and as the comfort of the necklace leave Aliaksei’s nape, he feels his brother’s small arms entangle around his body; capturing him in an embrace. “I will! I will work hard just as long as we stick together, starejšy brat!”_ **

**_A wide grin settles onto Aliaksei’s pink lips, and for a moment, he feels as if he did not need any of the jewels that were sued along his shirt, for a moment—he did not care if his rings and bracelets fell off into the deepest trench of the ocean; for a moment, for just a quick, small moment—Aliaksei felt victory inside the warmth of Maksim’s embrace._ **

“Maksim.. Are you alright?” Warm hands pat his shoulder blades, and he flinches at the sudden touch, his body tensing up as he averts his gaze away from the small hole they had been using to watch the things happen before them. “That is.. My brother.” The male says breathlessly, a hint of both relief and disbelief was evident in his tone of voice, a million of emotions wash over him; but Katya and Mikalaj did not know what to do. Out of all four of them, Maksim and Aliaksei were the one who had always been together, ever since the four of them appeared. Mikalaj, Katya, and Maksim had only met a few months ago, and the two females had met Aliaksei prior to their encounter with Maksim.

Mikalaj, the oldest one in the room, breaks the silence that comes afterwards, gulping as her lips quiver as she attempts to speak to comfort Maksim’s nerves. “He is our brother, Maksim.” She nods at him, with Katya sighing hastily as she inches towards the hole to take another peek. “He’s.. gone?” Was Katya’s small statement, her eyes narrowed as she soon turns to Maksim and Mikalaj.

Soon after Katya had murmured, there was a loud noise that came from the other side of the abandoned tavern, alerting the three as they all turn to each other in sync. Mikalaj draws out her bow and arrow, with Katya hurrying to get the piece of wood lying idly on the floor, whilst Maksim walks ahead of the females to get a closer view.

And then, another crash erupts, and all of them instantly freeze.

_**“Sei!” Calls out the young male once more, running in circles as he draws out his stick, acting as if it was a sword of some sort. Aliaksei follows suit, his pace was slow enough for his brother to keep up, but still enough for Maksim not to catch him just yet. They reach a field filled with violet flax flowers, Aliaksei stops in his tracks, and Maksim collides with him; the both of them falling down, the smaller male laughing as petals fell down on their clothes. “I caught you!” Aliaksei scoffs playfully at this, crossing his arms as he sits up, pulling his brother up as well. “Correction; I let you catch me, Maks.”** _

_**“I can already see it now! Maksim, the greatest leader of the Kryvians!” Aliaksei ruffles the said boy’s hair, scrunching his nose as his sibling roared in laughter, rising to his feet to jump up and down once more. “And you will be Aliaksei, the defender of the tribe!” At this, the older one rolls his eyes, finding it all-too-cliche. But he was not complaining.** _

“What was.. that?” Was Katya’s reluctant question, her voice dripping with anxiousness and worry, her legs trembling slightly as Maksim visibly swallows the lump forming in his throat. “I don’t kn-” He was cut short by the door opening, a squeak from the rusty hinges of the door was heard throughout the tavern, and the sigh in front of them only made the three frustrated even more.

“Sei! Aliaksei!” Katya was the first to drop down her weapon, rushing towards the male as she throws her hands around him, burying her head onto his chest. Mikalaj’s shoulders evidently relax, now gripping onto her wound as she walks closer towards them. But still, like from earlier, Maksim could not move.

He could not erase from his mind the sight of his dearest brother, walking alongside Ivan as they trudge over piles and piles of dead bodies of their people, the people the four of them swore to protect. To defend. Maksim didn’t understand. He didn’t know how Aliaksei could possibly go back on his words.

“Maksim.” He snaps out of his trance as his name slips the older male’s mouth, his eyes staring sharply into Maksim’s brown orbs, shaking off Katya gently as he makes his way towards Maksim. The younger male, however, had taken a step back, unsure of what to feel as his eyes remain widened. After some time, he straightens his posture and regains his steady composure, his eyes falling to the floor. “What are you doing here, Aliaksei?”

His tone of voice comes out as firm, it’s sharp, it’s enough to make Aliaksei feel some sort of uncertainty. And for a moment, for a quick moment, something other than disappointment flashes across Aliaksei’s eyes.

Regret.

“What ever could you mean?” Aliaksei adjusts the cap on his head, pulling it down to briefly cover his eyes. Because he knew, he knew what he did and he knew he shouldn’t have done it. Aliaksei knew what would happen, and yet he still did it. Maksim grits his teeth, stomping forward as he raises Aliaksei’s collar, hoisting the male sightly as he feels his rage build up in his system. “You fucking know what I mean, Aliaksei!”

Katya hesitantly takes a step forward to intervene, but Mikalaj stops her, and that gesture was enough for the youngest female to understand. Katya and Mikalaj could not possibly know what Maksim felt after seeing his brother in the other side of the field after years and years of him being separated from the rest of them.

_**The field of violet flax flowers was one of the highlights in these parts of their territory. Settled along the borders of modern-day Brest and Grodno, it was constantly recognized as the tribe’s sanctuary. The faintest memory that Maksim had during his first appearance was feeling the grass rustle against his skin, and the familiar hue of violet clouding his view. And a few years after so, he and his brother were crowned as representatives.** _

_**“You love this field, don’t you, Maks?” Aliaksei stands up, dusting off the dirt on his clothes as the both of them start walking further into the field. “What is there not to love, starejšy brat?” Sei smiles at this, bending down to take hold of his brother’s smaller hands.** _

_**“Then how about we make this our meeting place for when we are separated?”** _

“You are acting irrationally, stop this.” Aliaksei’s voice is steady, it’s calm, it didn’t drip any form of sharpness and authority like earlier. Soon, the male pushes Maksim away, straightening his collar as he takes a step back. “I did not come here to instigate a fight between us. You should know better than to act so foolishly, brother.”

A small smirk makes its way towards Aliaksei’s lips, shaking his head as he turns his back on all three of them, inching closer towards the door. “Leave by sunset. We will be bombing what is left of this town. You needn’t be here by that time.” He takes off his gloves, lowering his head as he opens the door once more, reluctantly stepping out. Katya falls forward, taking Aliaksei by the hem of his coat as she takes in a sharp breath.

“Why are you doing this, Aliaksei?” She grips weakly onto his coat, he turns his head to stare at her, before prying her hand away from him. “Who are you to question my motives? You are merely a stranger I met months ago.” He scoffs, and soon, tension builds up around the four; but Maksim shakes this feeling away, boldly taking a step forward. “Then tell me, Aliaksei.” Maksim squints his eyes, releasing a deep breath. “Tell me your motives. I am your brother.”

Aliaksei shifts in his position, before soon shoving his hands inside his pockets. And the words that follow after only surprises the three even more, all of them instantly freezing yet again.

“Not anymore, Maks.”

And for a moment, for a small, quick moment, something other than seriousness washes over Aliaksei’s expression, something similar to hurt, to frustration, to aggravation- but the older Belarusian was long gone by the time Maksim could analyze his brother.

**_“Separated? But I would never leave your side, Aliaksei!” Maksim falls into pits of laughter, a wide grin settles onto his face. “There will come a time where we, whether we like it or not, will be away from each other, brother. We are of great importance to this place.” Maksim was still too young to understand the roles they had to fulfill as representatives. He Was still too young to understand what it truly meant to hold this title. “But remember this, okay?”_ **

**_Aliaksei kneels down, matching Maksim’s height, s closed-eye smile befalling onto his expression. Maksim tilts his head to the side, out of both curiosity and confusion. “Whenever you return to this place, I will meet you on the same side, alright?” And for a moment, despite the sense of uncertainty that the future held, Aliaksei was sure; he was sure that he could not possibly leave Maksim’s side._ **

**_But, again, it was only for a moment._ **

**Author's Note:**

> a self-indulgent one-shot no one asked for. i've recently started working on the belarusian siblings' backgrounds, and i honestly just wanted to type this up.


End file.
